plastic bags

On April 22nd, towns and cities across the world will be celebrating the 49th anniversary of Earth Day. As Earth Day approaches, communities pause and take into account the environmental impact of their actions. One such focus is the use of plastics in society and the ramifications it has on the world around us. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it takes 100-400 years for plastics to break down in a landfill. Many municipalities have targeted one specific area–plastic bags. Single-use, disposable plastics bags are a major source of litter and pollution in our environment as they do not biodegrade and are extremely difficult to recycle.

New Castle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Rye are all Westchester towns that have passed laws prohibiting the use of plastic bags. North Castle is now evaluating similar legislation regarding the banning of plastic bags in retail stores. Two prominent figures who are spearheading the movement for this ban are North Castle residents, Linda Trummer-Napolitano and Beth Pollack.

“We launched a BYOB campaign a few years back to encourage residents to bring their own reusable bags wherever they shop. We are in an active period of gathering signatures on a petition from residents who support legislation that restricts single plastic carry out bags and imposes a fee on other carry out bags modeled after the New Castle law.”

New Castle passed its Reusable Bag Law on January 1, 2017 with the objective of reducing plastic bag usage. The law only applies to retail transactions and its goal is to ban the use of single-use plastic bags. Certain establishments such as grocery, convenience stores and pharmacies are required to charge 10 cents for paper bags. Restaurants, delis, boutiques and liquor stores are exempt from the fee. When deciding how to enforce the law, the New Castle Sustainability Board decided it would rely on reports from consumers and merchants to identify businesses that were not in compliance.

“Our goal is to find a solution that will work in North Castle without causing hardship to anyone. We are a long way from proposing any legislation but we think momentum is on our side.”

Inside Armonk interviewed local North Castle residents about their views on this important issue. “I think eventually the town should ban the plastic bags. The negative impact it has on the environment is obvious,” says local resident Michael Aberman. “There needs to be a more gradual change to the issue because this is not like other issues.” He then goes on to talk about implementing a tax on plastic bags, much like they do in New Castle. “I think there could be a ten-cent tax to the bags which could incentivize customers to bring their own.”

Some have questioned whether imposing a tax on plastic bags would hurt business owners. However, research from around the region has provided evidence that the long-term effects on stores are very positive. Two studies conducted by Fairfield University one year after Westport, CT passed its law shows a significant increase in reusable bag rates (approximately 50 percent) at the Westport Stop and Shop.

“In DeCicco’s, they shouldn’t ban grocery bags, but for other small stores they should,” states Armonk resident Rianna Rabinowitz. “I wouldn’t think twice about using a paper bag or plastic bag in a large store like DeCicco’s.” Many Armonk residents appear in support of banning plastic bags or imposing a ten cent charge. When asked about whether North Castle should ban plastic bags, Armonk resident Blake Rosen stated, “They should ban it where it is necessary. I know that some states charge ten cents a bag and I think that could be effective in Armonk.”

According to Napolitano, “We believe that many North Castle residents are supportive of a reusable bag or BYOB bill because they recognize the perils that plastic bags pose to our wildlife and the environment.” The Armonk Chamber of Commerce supports the BOYB campaign. She further states that the best solution to this problem is to create legislation.

It will be the law soon in New Castle anyway!

Photo from cawrecycle.orgBy Matt Smith

“One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”

These, of course, were the famous words spoken by astronaut Neil Armstrong to mark the momentous occasion of the first moon landing–no doubt, also a personal feat for Armstrong himself. While New Castle residents have yet to journey beyond our planet (if you have, please step forward), a landmark May 31 passing of the New Castle Reusable Bag Initiative–which officially identified our town as the first municipality in the state to pass such a law–constitutes a giant leap too, at least at the local level.

The ordinance, which will officially go into effect on January 1, 2017, will limit the number of single-use plastic shopping bags in a variety of local businesses, encouraging patrons to instead bring their own reusable bag when shopping.

The greenlight comes after an in-depth, two-year study of bag laws in towns across the country, and an equally-lengthy deliberation process, in which Sustainability Advisory Board members worked hard to devise a law that aimed to maximize protection of the environment, while still benefitting local businesses.

Following an additional deliberation period, which included reviewing the law with merchants and residents, getting petitions signed, answering questions, and responding to overall feedback, the final law written by SAB member and RBI initiative leader Jennifer Mebes Flagg, and then, of course, ultimately passed. Needless to say, it’s a decision with which the Town Board is incredibly proud.

“I ran for this position to make a difference,” says Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein, on the subject, “and I feel that by passing this initiative, we have done just that.” In addition, Chairman of New Castle’s Sustainability Advisory Board Steven Wolk praises both the “incredibly supportive” residents of New Castle and the “tireless commitment” of the Town Board, stating that, in passing the law, “[Our] message is clear: [The well-being] of our environment, and ultimately the health of our children, is worth giving up a small amount of convenience.”

Free Bags at First

But any big transition comes with a period of adjustment, and the Board is prepared to handle such circumstances. To ease customers into the change, “We’ll distribute free reusable bags at first,” explains Greenstein, “but the goal is that hopefully, there will be a shift and shoppers will either bring bags on their own, or recognize that a bag may not even be needed.”

As a convenient alternative, stores will offer up paper bags…but in keeping with the effort to be environmentally-friendly and encourage reusable bag use, since paper bags are also highly polluting, they’ll come with a 10-cent charge (kept by the stores to offset the cost of acquiring such bags).

Greenstein, who adds that the change will most impact “the biggest providers of plastic bags” in the area, including Rite Aid, Walgreens, Chappaqua Village Market, and both the incoming DeCicco & Sons (Millwood) and Whole Foods Market (Chappaqua), notes that this ten-cent bag fee will be waived for businesses that mayoffer decorative paper bags for branding purposes.

“I understand the importance for small businesses like gift shops and jewelry stores to have nice paper bags with their name and their logo on it, [and] a design,” he explains. “We tried to respect their right to continue to do that, without having to [charge a fee].”

Additionally, due to the nature of the product and the necessity of the plastic bag, the ordinance would neither affect nor apply to bags for meat and produce, newspapers, or dry cleaning.

No Plastic Bags at All

But for all businesses, plastic shopping bags will be banned entirely. And while some New Castle residents are quick to express dismay, Greenstein urges those opposed to see the positive effects of the decision: “The evidence is overwhelming that this will have a positive impact on the environment.”

Furthermore, in the economic sense, “Most people are not going to want to go to Walgreens and pay ten cents every time,” notes Greenstein. “[With this initiative], not only are our residents preserving the environment, but they’re also saving money.”

This new year heralds a series of environmental initiatives under consideration by New Castle town officials.

Several ideas are being generated by a key environmental group in town–the Sustainability Advisory Board. This all volunteer group is comprised of several New Castle residents. Its chair, Steven Wolk, explained that they try to find ways to help New Castle become more sustainable. These include proposals to:

• Ban most plastic bags in stores.

Communities that already have bag bans, according to Wolk, include San Francisco and Rye. The underlying reasons for doing so include the impact single-use bags on the environment, such as sewer clogging and pollution of water bodies. Wolk also explained that both the manufacture and transport of plastic bags takes an enormous amount of energy. The bag ban would allow for some exceptions, he added, such as dry cleaning bags and bags that are used for fruits and vegetables. The goal is to implement the ban in a way that resonates positively for residents and businesses, Wolk explained. It is expected that the proposed ban will be presented to the town board before this summer.

• Adopt what is called uniform solar permitting.

This means that New Castle could have the same permitting type for solar installation that is used elsewhere. The benefit of uniform permitting, according to Wolk, include a reduction of the cost of installation, which in turn would lead to a reduction of the cost for solar in general. The permitting proposal could be presented to the town board by this spring.

• Increase New Castle’s recycling rate.

Currently, about 24 percent of the waste in town is recycled, Wolk says. He believes that the figure could rise to 60 percent or more, a level that he feels could have a positive effect on the environment. A higher rate of recycling means saving tens of thousands of dollars, according to an estimate the board cites. By recycling, Wolk believes, people can have a social impact.

• Begin an educational initiative for community residents.

The goal would be to drive home the importance of being sustainable and how to become more sustainable. Several ideas are being considered, including screening videos at the Chappaqua Library for the public and holding discussions right after.

During his interview for this story, Wolk brought up three pillars of sustainability. These include promoting social interests, trying to become more environmentally conscientious, and ensuring a bright economic future.

Within the board, members act as managers for the initiatives, according to Wolk. He holds the role for the solar permitting proposal, while Nicole Lewinter has it for the plastic bag ban. Board member Dick Goldsmith is the manager for the recycling initiative while the educational initiative is being led by Maxine Margo. The board could use volunteers, Wolk explained, and it is “absolutely recruiting.”

In an interview, Supervisor Robert Greenstein described environmental ideas that he is interested in. One initiative would be to have pails located downtown that have the option for recycling. These containers could include merchant sponsorship, which would be noted with plaques. The supervisor would also like for them to be classy and is interested in getting the beautification committee involved.

Aside from desired initiatives, changes are already set for 2014. New Castle’s website lists several enhanced recycling items that have been added for this year. They include waxed coated containers (such as for ice cream, butter, juice, milk and frozen foods), plastic bags with the numbers one to seven, and aseptic box containers that have broth, soup or juice. Residents can also take advantage of New Castle’s recycling center. It is located at 210 Hunts Lane in Chappaqua and is open between Wednesday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and again from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Tom Auchterlonie is the former local editor of the Chappaqua-Mount Kisco Patch.

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